DIY: Perfume...

I have a confession to make. I used to be a fragrance junkie. Yeah, that’s right I was a perfume addict. I used to have a shelf full of bottles of the stuff, all different brands, and scents, the majority of them expensive. I wore it everyday and I loved it. Then I woke up to the fact that I was paying for a lot more then a pretty scent in all those pretty little glass bottles. Virtually all perfumes contain synthetic compounds and toxic chemicals. We’re talking endocrine disrupters, phthalates, parabens, hormone disrupters. These toxins in your favorite designer fragrances can cause anything from migraines and headaches to allergic reaction, allergy development, asthma, cancer and more. Once I got wise to this, the perfumes I once loved so dearly began smelling a little less sweet. Though it did take me a little time to kick the habit completely. You know how it is, some things you can quite cold potato while others take a bit more effort. For me, junking the perfume habit was all about trial and error. Meaning - if I wasn’t going to use perfume to smell good anymore what was I going to do? And how was it going to work? Figuring that kind of stuff out takes time, and can only be done by experimentation, so that’s what I did.

Last Christmas I was given Kim Barnouin’s book “Skinny Bitch: Home Beauty and Style” by my good friend J, which I promptly began reading after the festivities were over. There is a section in the book about perfume which was my first awakening to the dangers of store-bought fragrance. Of course, for some people when it comes to certain things more then one awakening is needed, so I didn’t give up perfume right away. I kept on with it, but the seed had been planted, and eventually I began doing my own research into why perfume was so bad. By the time I was finished I realized that if I truly cared about my body, my health, the environment, and the animals I couldn’t in good conscience continue to wear perfume. So I pledged right then and there not to buy any new perfume, and I began my search for safe, healthful, cruelty-free, and sustainable alternatives. Unfortunately as I came to realize very quickly not too many of those exist in the world, and of the few companies out there who are producing safe, cruelty-free, environmentally friendly fragrances I realized by looking at the ingredients that I could easily do the same thing at home for a fraction of the cost. It would just take a little bit of study, some creativity, and good old trial and error.

As far as I’m concerned good quality essential oils are the way to go. They may seem expensive at first when you see that most of them only come in a quantity of one or two ounces, but these oils are super concentrated and highly potent so a little really does go a long way. It’s been maybe ten months since I bought my very first bottle of essential oil and I haven’t had to replace a single one yet. When you take into consideration that I use these oils for more then just my own homemade perfume, you see that you actually get a lot of bang for your buck. However just because you start buying essential oils instead of commercial fragrances doesn't mean you can stop being a savvy consumer. You still need to read the labels to ensure that the essential oils you're buying are the real deal. Too many cheap oils are out there for sale, full of synthetic chemicals. What you want to look for is oils that are organic, 100% pure essential oil, have no synthetics, and also ones that are ethically wildcrafted. Don't automatically go for the cheapest oils you can find, but keep in mind that you don't have to break the bank for good quality either. Shop smart, keep savvy.

Now I’ll admit that in the beginning it took a little getting used to. Since homemade perfumes using essential oils are made by blending essential oils with a carrier oil - such as jojoba, almond, avocado, borage, primrose, apricot kernel etc.. - it can leave you feeling a little greasy or oily afterwards. Whereas perfume sprays on, dries and you forget it’s even there. So at first I wasn’t used to that sensation of ‘feeling’ the perfume on my skin, it was a bit odd, and annoying, and I felt slick. So I began using a little less, and making sure I rubbed it in well, and over time - not very long really - I stopped noticing it. I adapted, and I love the scents that I create so much that I would never even consider going back to toxin laden perfume. It’s great to have absolute control over what you’re putting into and onto your body, and with the wealth of beautiful essential oils out there your scent combinations and fragrance options are virtually endless. Plus I feel much cleaner using homemade perfume, I don’t sneeze after I apply it, or get random headaches, and I can breath easier. In fact breathing easier is the most amazing thing. You know that old saying that some people don’t know their sick until they’re actually healthy? Well it’s kind of like that. I didn’t know I had a sensitivity to artificial scents until I stopped using them. Now I can barely stand to be around people who are wearing perfume, they could be standing five to ten feet away from me and I start feeling a headache come on, my nose tickles, and my throat constricts. Walking through a department store these days is absolute murder, lucky for me I rarely find myself in department stores.

When it comes to DIY perfume my favorite carrier oil to use is Almond Oil, which is good for sensitive skin like mine. Though you can use any good carrier oil that suits your fancy and your skin type. While my favorite essential oils to use for fragrance include - but are not limited to - peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, white thyme, lemongrass, citronella, and ylang ylang, depending on my mood. Since pledging at the beginning of the year not to buy any new perfume my supply of commercial store-bought fragrance has diminished to one half-full bottle of Calvin Klein’s Euphoria. This was previously my favorite fragrance in the world, and now all I see when I look at it is toxic waste. Still I can’t bring myself to throw away a perfectly ‘good’ half bottle of perfume, and yet I can’t bring myself to put it onto my skin either. Perhaps I’ll keep it as a reminder of why I don’t want that sort of thing in my life anymore.

One other interesting thing I’ve realized in this trial and error of making my own perfume is that perfume truly serves no purpose. It’s entirely unnecessary. As much as I love my own homemade stuff I don’t wear it everyday. I typically only wear it to work, or if my husband and I are going out somewhere nice, or if I’m in need of a little mood elevation - because essential oils are great for this too! The rest of the time I don’t wear any fragrance, and I’m perfectly okay with that. Our society has conditioned us into believing that to be desirable we need to constantly smell of something other then ourselves, and this is utter nonsense. We have some how been bamboozled into thinking that our own natural scents are offensive or unflattering and this is simply not the case. The moment you truly realize this you will be set free, and you will never again seek out the wisdom of corporations to try and determine how you should and shouldn’t smell.

So give essential oils a try and see how you like them, but of course don’t take only my word for it. Do the research yourself and see. If you’re interested in more information the Environmental Working Group did a study testing 17 top name brand perfumes. In the end they found that each product had at least 14 secret chemicals that weren’t listed on the packaging because of the ‘trade secret’ laws. A total of 38 secret chemicals were found among all seventeen brands.  A dozen of these chemicals were hormone disrupters, with an average of four hormone disrupting chemicals per product. Ten of the ingredient in each product could cause allergies to develop or cause allergic reaction. But the worst part is that the EWG found that roughly 91% of the ingredients in each producing including those on the label and those not included in the label had not been tested for human safety. You see like various other industries The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) is self-regulating, which means they can test their own products for safety and then hand over their reports, but no governing agency double checks the proclaimed safety of the products tested they just take the IFRA’s word for it. How messed up is that?

So if you’re interested in looking into this more in depth, or you want to find out what’s in the products you have sitting in your makeup bag or on your shelf check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database.

EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic's Database

You might also like to browse through a copy of

Kim Barnouin’s book “Skinny Bitch: Home Beauty and Style”

PS: This DIY Perfume post is part of a new series of posts I have planned about making green products yourself at home. It's a way to avoid chemical contamination, stop supporting corporations who only care about their profit margins not your health, lessen our carbon footprint on the planet, and save a few bucks in the process. As I become more and more aware of the realities of the common everyday products we buy without giving it a second though I realize there has to be a better way, and as I discover these better ways I hope to share them with you too! 

The Great Stevia Deception...

Stevia is a low-glycemic, zero calorie sweetener that gets a lot of praise in the health community. Diabetics love it, and so to people trying to keep their sugar consumption low for general health reasons or weight control. Since stevia is a natural product, made from the leaves of the stevia plant it’s been the saving grace of many people who are trying to keep their diet as natural as possible. Unfortunately it seems that most, if not all commercial Stevia is anything but natural. Many commercial brands - including Organic brands - of stevia contain maltodextrin which is just a fancy name for sugar derived from corn. Stevia also contains Silica - also known as Silicon Dioxide - this is a naturally occurring mineral found mostly in quartz and sand. A trace amount is needed by our bodies for certain functions particularly that of bone strength and the strength of connective tissue. However, silica is easy to get from plant foods and is not something you need to be concerned about supplementing, as many if not all plants foods have trace amounts of it for the simple reason that they get it from the soil they’re grown in. Getting silica in this way is one thing, ingesting silica in the form of a food additive is another. Some studies have suggested that silica as a food additive can be toxic. If not processed in the right way, and if a food product contains more then 2% silica it can have ill-health effects. Studies have also suggested that people taking silica supplements over a long period of time can suffer from kidney deterioration.

Unfortunately Silica is used in many food products. Particularly pre-packaged foods, powdered foods, and drinks. Mostly as a caking or absorbing agent. Interestingly enough it’s also used to make glass, and cement. Crystalized Silica Dioxide is considered toxic if inhaled,. Little packets of silica gel are also used to prolong the shelf life of dry goods, and those packets as you’re probably well aware are considered toxic if ingested.

I find all this a bit concerning. Silica when ingested in trace amounts in your produce and grains is fine, but ingested as a food additive? I’m not convinced it’s safe, and I definitely don’t think it should be mixed directly into stevia.

Unfortunately Silica additives are not the only thing to be concerned about with commercial brands of Stevia. Most, if not all of them also contain maltodextrin which as I already said is just a fancy name for sugar derived from corn. Maltodextrin is not safe for diabetics and should not be ingested by them because it spikes your blood sugar just the same as regular table sugar. Commercial Stevia should not be aloud to be marketed as safe for diabetics, it’s not.

After discovering this on Friday I went to my local Whole Foods, and my local independent health food shop and at both places I found every single brand of Stevia to contain maltodextrin, and/or silica, plus a host of other filler ingredients. This was very upsetting, because I like stevia. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now, ever since I found out how toxic Splenda is. When I buy stevia I expect to be buying the pure thing, not a bunch of fillers. Not to mention potentially hazardous and toxic agents, and GMO’s. Since maltodextrin comes from corn it is most certainly GMO unless derived from non-GMO corn.

Commercial Stevia is expensive, about $8 a box depending on the brand and where you live, and they’re totally ripping us off. Since the Stevia is cut with so many fillers you’re really not getting that much pure product. Commercial Stevia may only actually contain 10-15% actual stevia! So we’re being cheated.

After doing a bit of online research I discovered that true pure stevia powder is actually green. It’s a tad grainy and doesn’t dissolve as well in liquid. Though it supposedly settles at the bottom of a glass - like tea leaves I suppose. It’s also super sweet, from what I’ve read a ½ tsp will sweeten a 58 ounce pitcher of tea! Pure stevia is more expensive of course - anywhere from $12-21 a pound but it goes a long way. You can by the pure leaf powder on Amazon.com and there are a few other independent websites that sell it as well. Just make sure that you double check to make sure that what you’re getting is the pure leaf powder, it should be green and contain no other ingredients.

I purchased some pure green stevia powder yesterday morning and eagerly wait it’s arrival. If you're diabetic, concerned about your health, or don't want to ingest GMO's, Toxins, and fillers i suggest you do the same!

"Organic Health Food” Giant Whole Foods Caught In Deceptive GMO Marketing Scandal...

Now to take a moment out of Vegan Mofo to bring to your attention a serious and pressing issue.

I’ve been meaning to write a post on GMO’s - Genetically Modified Organisms - for ages, it’s something that I feel very strongly about. It’s something I think all people should be fully informed on, yet it’s something I keep having to put off because honestly I don’t even know where to begin. However the latest news story concerning Whole Foods, GMO’s and Monsanto got my attention last week, and sort of blew my mind. It comes at a particularly timely moment as on November 6th an initiative will be on the ballet in California - PROP 37 - that if passed will legally require all Foods containing GMO’s in the state to be labeled as such. This is huge, it is a huge step. Labeling of GMO foods is already required across the entire European Union, China, Mexico and some other countries as well, the United States is one of the only industrialized countries that does not require the labeling of GMO foods. Probably because the vast majority of the U.S. food supply is genetically modified, and probably because biotech corporations like Monsanto who are responsible for GMOs have plants in the FDA, the USDA, and various other agencies and organizations nationwide. Monsanto who I’ve mentioned before and who you should be well familiar with anyway has spent billions of dollars fighting against Prop 37. Dupont has also spent an exorbitant sum of money to fight against Prop 37 in California. Monsanto claims that GMO foods are safe, and healthy, but if they’re so safe then why is Monsanto fighting so hard against labeling. If they are so safe then labeling the GMO’s shouldn’t make a difference to them. But are we really suppose to take the word of the Corporation who invented DDT and Agent Orange, who after virtually zero testing declared those chemicals ‘safe’? Perhaps this is why they’re fighting so hard.

The truth about GMO’s is that we truly do not know if they are safe or not. They’ve only been in our food system since the 1990's, and no extensive testing or trials have been conducted. No human trials nor human testing. We have no idea what the long term effect of consuming high quantities of GMO’s may be, we have no idea what the consequence will be to our environment. Studies conducted on animals fed GMO diets have shown that GMO’s can cause anything from allergies, infections, discomfort to cancer. A recent study on mice fed a diet of Monsanto’s GMO corn showed that they developed large stomach tumors. GMO’s were approved for use in the human food supply by the USDA and the FDA not because of throughly vetted testing but simply because Monsanto gave them their word. Can we trust that?

Whether you believe GMO’s are safe, or detrimental to human health and the environment. I think the one thing we can agree on is that all of us have a right to know what we are eating, and what we are choosing to put into our bodies. Monsanto doesn’t want us to have that right.

This is where Whole Foods comes in. For thirty years this corporate health food giant has positioned itself as the pioneer in industry organics. It prides itself on its standards and its dedication to selling only the highest quality natural foods. Natural is a big word at Whole Foods and is used as often as Organic, they often make the claim that their products and stores are free of artificial ingredients - meaning colors, flavors, etc. They have publically spoken out against GMO foods, and while I can’t pinpoint an instance in which they actually came out and said they never sell GMO foods in their stores, all of their marketing campaigns imply it. They are all about organic, natural and nothing artificial ever. Yet in a quiet press release issued recently the company disclosed that it does in fact knowingly sell GMO products in it’s stores. While this press release may have gone unnoticed by many it did not go unnoticed by all. An independent news organization picked up the story and actually had the balls to confront Whole Foods Employees and Customers with it. InfoWars and a group known as Organic Spies have made several captivating videos on the topic. One of the Organic Spies videos was even banned from YouTube, but is still viewable on their site, and several articles by similarly independent news organizations have been published over the following weeks. The backlash against Whole Foods has begun. They have been accused of indoctrinating their employees and encouraging them to lie on the subject of Organic’s and GMO’s. They have been called everything from corporate thugs, to “The Green Monsanto.” and now after various protests that occurred Tuesday, October 16th at Whole Foods stores nations wide - the day was labeled “Bring your GMO’s back to Whole Foods Day” Whole Foods has now released a 5 Point GMO Fact Sheet for it’s customers and employees.

In the fact sheet it claims that the only way for a Whole Foods customer to avoid buying GMO products is to by Strictly Organic products or products certified Non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project. It even admits that it’s own 365 brand - something it previously claimed was natural, free of artificial ingredients and GMO free - could not be considered 100% GMO free unless organic. They say “Our 365 Products come from plant sources that are sourced to avoid GMO’s” Note the word Avoid, and register that no where on the ‘fact sheet’ does it say that their non-organic 365 products do not contain any GMO’s.

When confronted by InfoWars reporters Whole Foods executive Libby Letton - who handles investor relations and food safety - if that’s not a conflict of interest I don’t know what is - said “Unless a store is all organic, every store in the country sells unlabeled Genetically Modified Foods.” While this may be true it’s hardly an excuse or a defense. The “Well Everyone Does it” excuse doesn’t fly, particularly when a company has built it’s reputation on being better then ‘the other guy’ People shop at Whole Foods because they think the company has integrity, because they trust them, and because they think Whole Foods is better then everyone else. Well their recent admission about GMO’s and Letton’s ‘defense’ prove otherwise. On the subject of conventional food items Whole Foods is no better then your friendly neighborhood Safeway, Dominick’s, Kroger, or even Wal-Mart etc.  Letton then said on camera “I don’t think Whole Foods does anything to try and make people believe that we don’t have food with GMO’s in them.” Which is a statement she likely now regrets because the reporters at InfoWars were able to find several instances of where this was not the case. From signs posted outside of Whole Foods Stores to statements posted on their website, blog, and even their own Mission Statement, InfoWars with a bit of research and a few hard-hitting questions  has been able to uncover the great Whole Foods Marketing Deception.

For some it comes as no surprise that Whole Foods sells GMO foods. With 90% of the nations Canola, 86% of the nations corn, and 93% of the nations soybean crops being GMO some people seem to think that buying GMO is unavoidable. To others however it came as a big shock, it’s an even bigger shock for people to find out that Whole Foods is selling the very GMO Monsanto Corn they’re supposedly against. The unavoidable defense is certainly the party-line the company is now taking up to excuse itself. They say that “GMO’s in the food supply are unavoidable, particularly when considering high risk crops such as corn, canola, and soy.” However that isn’t exactly true is it? If it were unavoidable or impossible then how could there be so many organic companies? How could their be such a thing as non-organic non-GMO certification? The truth is that it’s simply easier, and cheaper for Whole Foods to sell cheap GMO products at a ridiculous markup to unsuspecting consumers. Letton almost confirms this herself. When asked by an InfoWars reporter if Whole Foods had any plans to take the initiative and test all the non-organic products in their stores for GMO’s themselves she replied “Wouldn’t it just be simpler to pass a law that requires labeling of GMO’s on products?” Um, no. I think that Monsanto pumping billions of dollars into fighting that very law - Prop 37 - in California is proof enough that, that route isn’t easier. My question to Letton and to Whole Foods is “Wouldn’t it be a show of trust to test the products yourself to ensure your customers are provided with the best quality products?” “If you’re genuinely against GMO’s wouldn’t you make a greater effort to ensure they’re not in your stores.” “Could you not contact the non-organic companies whose products you sell and ask them if they would be willing to voluntarily label their products as GMO free even though there is no legal law requiring it?”

If you don’t think Whole Foods has pockets deep enough to pay for the testing of all the non-organic products sold within their stores you’re sorely mistaken. They have more then 300 stores in three countries, and some of those stores make a million dollars or more a week. The co-presidents of Whole Foods John Mackey, and Walter Robb are worth more money then you and I will ever see in our lifetime. If they were serious, if they were genuine, and if they truly cared about their integrity they would label their products voluntarily, or ask their supplies to do this. It is my personal opinion that any company not willing to label their products as GMO free has something to hide.

For me one of the most upsetting and disturbing things about this news is not the fact that Whole Foods is knowingly selling GMO products, it’s their deception about it. They may be admitting to the GMO’s now because they have to but their ‘quality standards’ as seen on their own website remains the same.

1) We carefully evaluate each and every product we sell
2) We feature foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.
3) We are passionate about great tasting food and sharing it with others
4) We are committed to foods that are fresh, wholesome and safe to eat
5) We seek out and promote organically grown foods
6) We provide food and nutritional products that support health and well-being

If all of those statements are true then Whole foods carefully evaluates products containing GMO’s and then decides to sell them anyway. Thinks that GMO’s are natural. Thinks that GMO foods are wholesome and safe, and thinks that GMO products support health and well-being. They either truly believe that, or their quality standards are a lie. I don’t know how you can list these as your quality standards while you’re simultaneously selling GMO foods. According to information offered by some of Whole Foods own employees - information spoken on camera during one of the undercover videos - Even Whole Foods Vitamin line may contain GMO’s.

This deception leads me to one more point I have to make on the topic of the hypocrisy of Whole Foods. Whole Foods dose not carry Pepsi, Coke, General Mills, Kellogg, Hershey’s, Cadbury, Kraft or Con Agra products because they are not healthy and do not meet their ‘quality standards.’ They demonize these companies and corporations and yet, if you look closely you will see that the shelves of Whole Foods Market are stocked full of products from these very companies. How could this be you ask? Simple.

Pepsi owns Naked Juice, and Izze. Both sold in Whole Foods.
Coke owns Odwalla sold in Whole Foods.
General Mills owns Larabar, Cascadian Farms, and Muir Glen all sold in Whole Foods
Kellogg owns Bare Naked, Kashi, Gardenburger, and Morningstar Farms all sold in Whole Foods
Hershey’s - Which has been accused of sourcing it’s chocolate through slave labor - owns Dagoba which is sold in Whole Foods.
Cadbury owns Black and Green Chocolate sold in Whole Foods
Kraft owns Boca and Back to Nature both sold at Whole Foods
Con Agra owns Lightlife sold in Whole Foods.

It should also be noted that while Whole Foods Market claims to be against factory farming it supports it indirectly as Hain Celestial - who have many products in Whole Foods stores from Imagine - almond, soy and rice dream - to Westsoy, to Garden of Eaten, to Arrowhead Mills and Spectrum Organics -  in particular is affiliated with Cargill, and directly as Whole Foods own grain-fed beef comes courtesy of IBP who is owned by Tyson Foods the biggest beef producer in the Country. IBP is located in South Dakota.

How can a company that demonizes these big corporations turn around and sell products from that very company? Perhaps this is why Whole Foods won’t stand behind Prop 37 and take a definitive and inarguable stand on the topic of GMO’s. Pepsi Corp, Cocoa Cola Corp, General Mills, and Kellogg are all actively fighting against prop 37 and donating to that fight right along with Monsanto.

Through their research InfoWars and Organic Spies have also uncovered some startling information. They say that Co-President Walter Robb has personally donated money to the campaign of Christie Vilsack who is running for congress this year. She is the wife of Tom Vilsack, who some of you may know is the United States Secretary of Agriculture at the USDA, who has been in bed with Monsanto for years, and who publicly advocates large industrialized farms and genetically modified crops. When confronted with this Letton stated that “What a person wants to do with their personal money from their personal bank account is their business.” which is true but you have to ask yourself why a man who is the co-president of the largest Organic and Natural Grocery Chain in the Country would donate money to the campaigns of the very people working against what he and his company - supposedly - are trying to achieve. InfoWars also stated that Robb donated a significant amount of money to the Obama campaign, and Obama appointed Mike Taylor - A Monsanto Cronie going back to the 80's - as the FDA Senior Advisor to the FDA Commission, and the FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods. It could very well be a coincidence, and it could not be, that at least is the conclusion that's being drawn. I can’t speak to that, but it is interesting. It has also been reported that Whole Foods Executives have had meetings with Tom Vilsack, Monsanto, Stonyfeild Farms and Organic Valley. About what? Who can say, but why would Whole Foods Executives be meeting with a company they rally against?

And why does a corporation as adamantly opposed to GMO’s as Whole Foods claims to be, refuse to donate money to the Prop 37 initiative in California? They’ve publicly stated that they support prop 37, and the consumers ‘right to know’ but refuse to throw any money behind it. Is that because their top executives are donating money from personal bank accounts that is inevitably ending up in the pockets of Monsanto? To date no corporation has donated money to Prop 37, all donations are coming from small independent and Organic companies or personal donations from concerned doctors and the public. Leading by example is something that Whole Foods could easily do here, and yet they sit back silently watching to see what happens while their higher-ups donate to the opposition.

I think it’s safe to say that Whole Foods Market is no longer your friendly neighborhood hippy-dippy health food store. They’ve failed their customers and sold out to corporate America for the all-mighty dollar.

If this bothers you, if this upsets you, if this infuriates you my advice would be to get into contact with John Mackey, Walter Robb and other Whole Foods Executives via email and tell them in a polite but firm manner what you think of all of this. I would urge you to go to your local Whole Foods Market and talk to the store managers there, tell them how you feel, tell them how disappointed you are in them as a company. I would also urge you to contact your congressman or woman, or your state senator and tell them how you feel about GMO’s and ask them to stand behind a similar prop 37 for whatever your home state might be. If you live in California I urge you to vote yes on Prop 37 this November 6th and show the world that we are not willing to let ourselves become Monsanto’s Science Experiment.

And on the matter of where to buy your groceries. There’s not much sense in boycotting Whole Foods I think, so I would suggest that you only buy their organic products. Purchase from them only what is organic or what you need to suit any special diet you may have whether it’s vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free etc... then do the rest of your shopping at farmers markets or local markets and health food stores that you trust. Independent ones will be sure to have more integrity then chains. When it comes to buying conventional products I’d recommend you get them wherever you can get them cheapest. No sense in buying conventional apples at Whole Foods when you can buy the same apples at Safeway for $2 less right?

Dollars speak louder then words, if you stop buying GMO products from Whole Foods maybe they’ll get the message.

As November 6 grows nearer and these stories continue to circulate I will try to keep you updated. For more information check out the articles and videos linked below. Or simply Google it for yourself.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037467_Whole_Foods_marketing_fraud_GMO.html
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=A6D9F56EC3D67EB38801CCAACE10D645
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=484FC93C887B206A895A116C0A3469E3
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23905.cfm
http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=E95DBAD3F3CE57D8190A9D39202FBD6B
http://digitaljournal.com/article/334129
http://www.infowars.com/whole-foods-market-and-gmos-the-whole-truth/
http://www.care2.com/news/member/101960828/3383705
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22449.cfm
http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&oldest=1&lname=Robb&fname=Walter&search=Search+Names
http://truthquake.com/2012/10/02/whole-foods-censors-expose-genetically-modified-food-poisoning-video/
http://www.gcnlive.com/wp/tag/food/
http://www.cornucopia.org/who-owns-organic/

The Clean Fifteen - An Answer To ‘The Dirty Dozen’...

So, I suppose now that I’ve thoroughly scared you (In a previous post) with the Environmental Working Group’s "Dirty Dozen" list, it’s probably a good time to tell you that it isn’t all doom and gloom, and the apocalypse. The EWG also has a list called The Clean Fifteen. Think of it as The Dirty Dozen’s less scary and less intimidating sister. As the name implies it’s a list of foods that are considered safer to purchase conventionally. Now keep in mind that when we’re talking about non-organic foods there’s no such thing as a zero percent risk, but because many of these foods aren’t naturally very appealing to pests less pesticides - if any - are used. In other cases the fruit or vegetable in question may have a thick of fibrous shell or skin that keeps pest interaction to a minimum and harmful chemicals at bay, leaving the edible flesh inside relatively unharmed. These fruits and vegetables are as follows...

The Clean Fifteen

1) Onions
2) Avocado
3) Sweet Corn*4) Pineapple
5) Mango
6) Sweet Peas
7) Asparagus
8) Kiwi Fruit
9) Cabbage
10) Eggplant
11) Cantaloupe
12) Watermelon
13) Grapefruit
14) Sweet Potatoes
15) Sweet Onions

Hopefully with this list in hand you will feel a little less overwhelmed at the register, as your cashier dutifully scans your items. As I said, I entirely understand the impracticality of everyone buying everything organic 100% of the time, what with the economy the way it is. Which is why the Dirty Dozen list is the best place to start, and this list I think is a great reassurance. This list gives us the power to feel relatively good and safe about those non-organic purchases we make. We can feel confident that we’re cutting down our day to day contact with pesticides, and reducing our bodies pesticide contamination by shopping organic for the dirty and conventional for the clean. We don’t have to burst into tears because we can’t afford the $3.99 Organic Pineapple, but only the $1.99 conventional one. Yet we can trust that it’s okay, because the pineapple has a thick spiky skin that even the most determined of pests most likely don’t want to tangle with. Think about it, you don’t even want to cut into that pineapple with a knife, it’s big, bulky and intimidating even to a human so how is an insect going to whittle it’s way through that bristling outer layer?

Keeping both these lists in mind also gives one a good rule of thumb to shop by. Examine what fruits and vegetables pop up on each list, and next time you’re doing your shopping use that to determine whether or not you should buy items that aren’t on either list in their organic or conventional variations. For example if it’s a sweet thin skinned fruit or vegetable you might want to buy it organic. If it’s a slightly bitter, spicy, potent or thick skinned fruit or vegetable you might be safe to go with the conventional. Although it’s my strong opinion that if you’re buying fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, or limes with the intention of using their zest in recipes, always, always buy organic. As it’s those thick skins will likely contain a concentrated amount of pesticide, even if the fruit inside is relatively clean.

Now as stated before not even the clean list is 100% clean. Unless you’re buying 100% organic there is no such thing as a 0% risk of pesticide contamination, but when tested the fruits and vegetables that appear on this list tested either low, or with a negligible amount or residue. For me, for now - as I assume for many of you - this is good enough to let me sleep soundly at night, knowing I’m doing the best I can in a complicated and imperfect world.

So as always, shop smart, eat responsibly and if you’re interested in more information please visit the Environmental Working Group’s website - http://www.ewg.org/ - for topics not only concerning the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen, but a wide variety of articles concerning many environmental issues.

(P.S. Keep in mind that just last year Broccoli, Papaya*, and Tomatoes were listed on the Clean Fifteen List, and as they don’t currently appear on the dirty dozen list, these too may be relatively safe to consume conventionally.)

* The * marked items may be relatively clean of chemical pesticides, but they’re still rather nefarious in my opinion for reasons that will be explained in full in an upcoming post. So be on the lookout*

The Dirty Dozen - How To Best Avoid Harmful Toxins In Your Produce....

When I say the words The Dirty Dozen, what’s the first thing to pop into your mind? If you’re like most people you just thought of the 1967 film staring Lee Marvin, and Ernest Borgnine. This however is not The Dirty Dozen I’m talking about.

Organic. It’s a word that’s been getting thrown around a lot in the past few years, as people all across the nation and the world are slowly becoming aware of where their food comes from, how it’s grown, and how those practices effect not only our own health but our environment as well. The Organic food market is currently the fastest growing market in the food industry, and grocers that want to remain afloat in today’s brutal economy are slowly but surely - and wisely - expanding their Organic lines for consumers. Yet there’s still a lot of confusion about what organic really means, and quite a bit of skepticism as to whether or not it’s truly better. (Topics better discussed another time, and both in their own individual post) However the biggest complain I hear on a day to day basis is entirely price related.

"But, Organic costs too much." Is what I always hear, and while it’s true that organic food appears to cost more then conventionally grown food the reality is in fact quite different. The average consumer has not been paying the true cost of food for quite some time. As various industries - Such as the Meat, and Dairy Industries - enjoy the benefit of multiple government subsidies which keep the cost of these products artificially low. Except it’s not just the meat, and dairy producers that benefit. The government also highly subsidizes the growing of Corn, Wheat, and Soy, and the same is now going for conventionally grown produce which is laden with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many of which are toxic, pollutants, and known disease promoting agents.

Because organic farms doesn’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and because organic farms don’t operate on such a massive industrialized scale, Organic farmer’s yields are not as large. Organic farms also employ more manual labor - which requires payment, which drives up cost - and another important thing to take into consideration is the cost in dollars as well as the cost in time that it takes to switch a non-organic farm to an organic one. The certification process isn’t cheap, and it isn’t quick either. All these things contribute to the grocery store price of organic goods. However if conventional farms weren’t subsidized by the government a conventional tomato would cost the same as an organic one. When you buy organic products you’re not only doing something good for yourself - by not ingesting harmful toxins - but you’re also doing good for our planet, Organic farming is sustainable, it enriches our soil rather then depletes it by filling it with chemicals, you’re working with the earth instead of against it, like nature intended, and you’re expressing compassion in the process. Compassion for yourself, as well as compassion for the earth we inhabit and all the creatures that share it with us.

Now I understand that for a lot of people it simply isn’t feasible to buy everything organic all of the time. I know this, because I myself am in that boat. I’m a lower-middle-class girl after all; but I know that buying organic is important, and so I do it whenever and wherever I can. I do it with the health of my husband and I as my first thought, and the planet as my second. I don’t want to eat harmful cancer causing toxins, I want to eat clean food that will nourish my body rather then destroy it, but to fit organics into the budget you have to shop smart, and so here is The Dirty Dozen list. It’s the Environmental Working Groups list of Fruits and Vegetables that are most toxic when grown conventionally. If you can’t yet afford to buy everything organic, then this list at least is a great place to start. The items found on this list are so heavily sprayed that USDA testing found that they could contain anywhere between 47-67 toxic pesticides, and that was AFTER being washed with a USDA high-powered pressure water system. Now I know there is no way the water pressure of your household sink is going to top that, so next time you’re in the store please give some thought to buying these foods organic counterparts.

The Dirty Dozen

1) Celery
2) Peaches
3) Strawberries
4) Apples
5) Blueberries (Domestic)
6) Nectarines
7) Bell Peppers
8) Spinach, Kale, and Collard Greens
9) Cherries
10) Potatoes
11) Grapes (imported)
12) Lettice

These foods are believed to be the most susceptible because of their soft, sometimes porous skin which allows the fruit and vegetables to easily absorb more pesticides. Vegetables like celery can also absorb pesticides from the soil and groundwater as they grow, making washing or peeling pesticides away virtually impossible.

Amy Rosenthal of the Environmental Working Group - which is a non-profit organization dedicated to public health - says "You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic versions of the Dirty Dozen" 80 percent! It really is something to consider when new studies are coming out all the time showing a correlation between pesticide ingestion and health problems such as cancer, ADHD, nervous system disorders, and brain developmental disorders in growing children. With such chemical compounds such as DDT and Methyl Bromide being used is it any wonder?

Changing anything in one’s life is difficult, we get used to a certain way of things and it can often be difficult if not down right impossible to snap ourselves out if it, but I strongly and sincerely urge you to give this some consideration. Especially if you have children. I think we can all agree that we want our children to grow up strong, healthy and with the best possible chances for living a long, happy, and healthy life. I think we can all agree that we’d like to leave this planet a better place than we found it, and that we’d like to leave a world for our grandchildren that’s still inhabitable. This is a small but crucial step towards that goal, and remember the more we choose to buy organic, the more our demand is recognized by ‘Big Food’ and the more that demand begs to be met. Also I don’t want to label the entire Food Industry as some dark bogeyman in the corner laughing down at the destruction they’re causing. Think of them more as a corporation, with their sole concern being profit, by continuing to buy their products we’re giving them the false idea that we support their destructive agricultural practices and therefor they continue to engage in them. Our pennies speak louder then our words, and so the more organic we buy, the sooner they’re going to realize that they won’t loose money by switching over, and of course with more and more of us choosing organic everyday, the lower the cost of organic goods will eventually go. It’s common sense - and a little bit of math.

So please, act and eat responsibly, and if you’re interested in learning more please visit the Environmental Working Group’s website ( http://www.ewg.org/  ) for the latest updates and information on everything from pesticides in food, to harmful compounds in cosmetics and cleaning products.

*** P.S. Just last year Pears and Carrots were on the Dirty Dozen list, and in 2008 Tomatoes were on the list as well. Though these items appear to now be in the clear, it might still be a good idea to consider buying their organic varieties.***